Laughter therapy has been around for a while. Busy urbanites and stressed out professionals (aka me) in metropoles like NYC and London swear by it. Usually combined with yoga, it claims to strengthen your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. So far so good, I buy it. I did it a few times. Remember, in many of my previous posts, I always highlighted the need for practical tools to rewire your negative neuropaths if you want to get on top of anxiety and work-related stress. Intentional laughter does just that!
Primal scream therapy is another trendy urbanite anti-stress activity. You know, a good old screaming your guts out type of thing. Besides having a cathartic effect, shouting simply feels really good. When we shout, our body releases “feel good” chemicals that we all crave. Dr Peter Calafiura, an American psychiatrist, says, “Yelling might trigger some endorphins, giving you a natural high.”
Why on earth are you reading this? Well, I recently find myself indulging more and more in my own version of yell-scream-curse combo therapy at home, behind closed doors. Call me closeted as you may, but it works miracles. And it’s free and fun. So much so that I decided to spread the word. Here’s a step-by-step guide so that you can ripe the benefits:
Step 1
Make a list of TV series you know you’ll hate and always avoid. Written media, like an offensive-to-you newspaper works as well, but I like the weekly ritual of a Netflix series. Make sure you go for things that really make you cringe, like a character you despise and enjoy seeing them lose in life. A good way to judge a successful pick is a production that offends your whole being and identity. I know, mean stuff, but stay with me, there is a higher purpose here. My most-hated series of choice lately is, you guessed it right, The Bold Type. I’m all down for all the issues it’s trying to bring to the mainstream. BUT. It epitomises everything I can’t stand of the shiny, contrived, trying-too-hard production values of American TV. The characters are annoying, deeply inauthentic and make me want to scream (on cue, as this is scream therapy after all). The script is predictable and Disneyfied to its bones. Not to mention that they got the whole premise of the show wrong. Supposedly, they work at a high-fashion magazine in NYC, yet the styling of the show is borderline Dr. Seussical at best, aggressively vulgar at worst. My cousin Nicoletta from a small village in Greece has better bad-floral-dress days (I am sorry Nicoletta, I love you).
Step 2
Once you’ve chosen your target, spread your gorgeous body and long legs comfortably on the couch, pour yourself a healthy smoothie with spirulina, take a deep breath and press play. The therapy starts before even the Netflix play symbol disappears from your screen. You’d normally whisper something inside your mind, roll your eyes and switch it off in search of something more suitable to your impeccable taste. Don’t. Persevere. But, here’s the trick, instead of keeping it all in, let it out. Scream at the situation, yell at the character and tell them what they should do, they are clueless, they don’t know. Call them names if you wish. Question their decisions. Who cares, no one is listening (ignore your neighbours). Most importantly, do it LOUDLY. Let it come straight from the gut. Move your arms around like a crossed Italian mama who just realised that her son didn’t appreciate her pasta. Feel your heart rate accelerate with anger and your blood pumping through your veins. It’s a healthy release. You can do it with others, if the most-hated-netflix-series coincides. It helps, as you can provoke each other to see who is going to yell the biggest insult. I do it with my partner, he always wins; he comes up with the best lines, screaming at the top of his lungs:
Did you see what she is wearing? GIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRL, DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE. MY DENTIST WOULDN’T BE CAUGHT IN THIS WALKING TO HER LOCAL ORGANIC SHOP!
Or my other favourite reaction:
HAHAHA … (5 minutes, Netflix paused) … HAHAHAHA
This is not mean-girls advice, there is science behind vocalising your feelings, albeit debatable if you follow VICE’s report. Still, there is enough credence to some benefits:
- Deal with anxiety which can stem from a resistance to feeling and expressing our feelings
- Fight against the negative emotion of shame, as the expression of anger is frowned upon many cultures (especially the one I happen to call home at the moment)
- Ultimately this leads to self-boost
- Pure feel-good factor
That’s it. Simple and effective. Try and you’ll see the benefits on your mood immediately.
Caveats
- If you suffer from a serious mental illness, you should consult a medical doctor.
- I had a long and stressful week, hence the lighthearted blog-post. Another one of my go-to exercises to manage my chronic stress. I feel better already.
- I apologise to the creators of The Bold Type (not that they will read my blog). See the silver lining here, your show is serving a public health cause.
- No, we won’t be on Goggle Box’s next season. I hinted to it flippantly to my partner one day. He slapped me (flippantly).
Macro-Wellness 